It's usually the case that the North East goes to Parliament except for MPs who do the round trip every week. So it's a great change to see Parliament coming here.
Parliament has agreed that it needs to get out more to let more people know how it works as an institution. It may be distant geographically but it's much easier to connect with it on-line and through your public representatives.
But I know that some people are mystified by its traditions and sometimes arcane language. To help overcome this and engage people with the legislative process Parliament's Outreach service is organising a workshop on engaging with legislation, at Northumbria University, on 10 June from 10.30 am to 2 pm (registration from 10 am).
The workshop, which is free to attend, is open to voluntary and community organisations, businesses, people who work for local authorities, colleges and universities, as well as students and interested individuals. It will be practical and strictly non-partisan.
The workshop will include information on how Parliament scrutinises proposed law, engaging with MPs and Lords as they consider Bills and submitting evidence to a Public Bill Committee in the House of Commons. There will also be talks on how to use sources of key information, such as the Parliament website, and House of Commons Library and tracking the progress of Bills on-line.
Experts from the Houses of Parliament will be on hand to answer any questions on Parliament's work.
For further information on the workshop and to book a place, please e-mail parliamentaryoutreach@parliament.uk or call Daniel Wood on 079 174 88839. For more information on the work of Parliament's Outreach Service, please visit www.parliament.uk/outreach
The more that people know how Parliament and MPs can help them the better.
Elsewhere people are fighting and dying to establish democracy. We have had a fully democratic system for just under a century, although parliament goes back many hundreds of years. We can take things for granted but should recognise that we have something which can help change our lives for the better.
I'll leave the last word to Winston Churchill who rightly said that
"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
Newcastle Chronicle and Journal
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